


Superhero Alter Egos for 200

by mcgarrygirl78



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Angst, Drama, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-08-17
Updated: 2006-08-17
Packaged: 2019-05-31 03:43:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15111089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: "I should have known you'd prefer bad boys Claudia Jean."





	Superhero Alter Egos for 200

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

  
Author's notes: I don't even know where the title came from, but I had insomnia too so go figure.  


* * *

CJ flopped over in bed for the fiftieth time and glared at the alarm clock. It was 2:47, 3 hours and 13 minutes until she had to be up again. This was the first night in almost three weeks that she had been home before midnight. How could the dreaded curse of insomnia plague her tonight? The year 2000 was moving fast. The President gave his first State of the Union, Leo stood tall against a very personal blow, and India and Pakistan decided to hold off blowing each other to hell one more time. CJ even had the ultimate pleasure of being introduced to Lord John Marbury.

Why couldn’t she sleep…life was at a lull? She sighed, grabbing the pillow and throwing it over her face. Taking a deep breath, she inhaled the scent of Leo. Well that proved she needed to do laundry; Leo had not been there since the night before the press conference. They sat on her living room floor eating chocolate chip cookies and talking about childhood. CJ threw the pillow back on the bed and grabbed the cordless phone from her nightstand. She dialed, listening to it ring four times. Her urge to hang up was quieted when someone answered.

“Yeah? Hello…hello, is anyone there?”

“Hi.”

“Hi. What time is it?”

“Late. I'm sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry. How ya doing?”

“You never sleep.” She laughed a bit. “Leave it to me to call the one night you do.”

“I don’t care.” She could hear him moving around on the bed. “You can't sleep?”

“No.”

“Nightmares?”

“No. Maybe I should just go; I'm sorry Leo.”

“What's the matter?” he asked.

“Nothing.”

“One does not make the 3am phone call for nothing. Talk to me.”

“Some nights I just can't sleep. I took a long bath, had decaffeinated tea, fought the urge to smoke a cigarette, and put on my favorite pajamas. I haven’t slept a wink.”

“What are your favorite pajamas?”

Leo didn’t think he had ever seen her in pajamas. Whenever they were in bed together, they both preferred nakedness. He smiled to himself, thinking of her in something flannel, possibly with feet on the bottom.

“I have a pair of dark blue Nick and Nora’s with dancing coffee cups. Hogan got them for Christmas last year.”

“Dancing coffee cups, eh? She knows her aunt pretty well.”

“Yeah. They are my favorites and now I am just sitting here toying with the buttons.”

“I could do that for you.”

She laughed again, sitting up some against her pillows.

“Why do comic book cities always have the silliest names when we all know they are talking about New York? Metropolis. Gotham City. Where the hell is Spiderman from?”

“You got me on that one kiddo.”

“Whatever, I'm just saying. I can't sleep.”

“We established that.”

“What is the last book you read Leo?”

“Walking Shadow; Robert B. Parker.”

“You like Spenser?” CJ asked.

“You know Spenser?”

“They are good novels. You don’t have to think too hard, but you come away with a hell of a good time. As an added bonus, Spenser is sexy. No scratch that, Hawk is sexy.”

“I should have known you’d prefer bad boys Claudia Jean.”

“It is a relative term. A man who can stare intently to get his point across, whether it means he wants to fuck you or kill you…just as sexy as the bloke with the big gun. Probably even more so.”

“You said before that I stare intently.” Leo said.

“Did I?”

He laughed, and it sounded like it came from way deep in his belly. CJ could not help but smile.

“Why can't you sleep CJ?”

“I don’t know really. Its not the usual stress; I just…are you alright?”

“Me? Yeah.”

“I'm worried about you.”

“I am fine and you do not have to always be the strong one.”

“Neither do you. I wish I could make this go away. This shouldn’t be happening to you.”

“Stop it baby. My problems should not keep you awake.”

“I know. I think Spiderman just lives in New York. I probably didn’t remember because it is so boring. Metropolis is a much better name. And the Daily Bugle…who comes up with this stuff?”

“You are delirious. Perhaps it is a side effect of sleeplessness.”

“I wish you were sleeping over tonight.”

After Leo and Jenny split, he gave her the house in Chevy Chase and moved into a suite at the Watergate. Whenever he and CJ got together, he usually spent the night at her place. She had yet to make an appearance at his hotel, but that wasn’t a good idea anyway. There was no way to handle that situation with discretion. He was still a married man and they had to be careful. How crazy would it be for Jenny to find out about the affair after she left? She would take Leo to the cleaners. While CJ had no real idea how much the Chief of Staff was worth, she knew it was a whole lot.

“Me too. I was not invited you know.”

“You have invited yourself more than once. Your company is always wanted Leo; you're my friend.”

“I know. I love spending time with you.”

“You hermit yourself away from me and I don’t like it.”

“I don’t like it either, but it’s a defense mechanism. I'm sorry; I always feel better when we are together.”

CJ sighed. They should not be having this conversation. Over the course of their two and a half year affair, CJ and Leo focused hard on building a platonic relationship. They understood each other and even when they argued over policy or the direction of the Administration, they knew work was work and not work something else entirely. And the sex! The sex was like fireworks and beer on the 4th of July…a martini and Elton John on vinyl after a hard day’s work. It was not often and they never let it become a top priority. In an effort to maintain that, both focused on knowing each other as people and not sheet mates. In hindsight, it may not have been the best idea. Leo McGarry in his expensive suit and impish grin…falling for him was easy. Leo McGarry, all that, plus his passion, his vulnerability, and his trust, it was as sure as sunrise that she was in love.

“Just come over Leo.”

“It’s late.”

“I know.”

“Are you sure?”

“No. You know what, I'm sorry. I'm just going to go. You can go back to sleep and maybe I can salvage…”

“Don’t hang up CJ. If you want me there, I will be there in a heartbeat.”

“I don’t.” her voice cracked and she cleared her throat. “I really don’t. Well, I do, but…we can't do this.”

“CJ, what is…?”

“I'm going to go Leo, OK? I will see you in the morning and I'm sorry I woke you.”

“Stop apologizing. CJ…are you still there. CJ, don’t…”

She turned the phone off and put it back on the charger. Beating her pillow a few times, CJ chastised herself for even making the damn phone call. She needed at least some sleep or tomorrow, today, would be unbearable. Taking a deep breath, the Press Secretary threw the covers over her head and prayed for at least an hour’s rest. If she were lucky, there would be some down time for a power nap this afternoon.

***


End file.
